How We Can All Pray Differently This Year
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In my walk of faith, prayer has been essential. Prayer has been something that has brought me comfort and peace in all the changing times of life. However, as I reflect on my own prayer life, I have realized prayer has become somewhat of a chore. It has been a routine action.
Prayers are essential to the Christian walk. It is the way we communicate with the Father. Everyone’s prayer life looks different. One question we all consider is how we can make our prayer lives more productive. Instead of doing the same old routine, we might want to change it up a bit.
Let’s be honest, change is not easy. In order to change, we first must change our attitudes. Once our attitudes are changed, we are able to make subtle or major changes to make our prayer lives the best they have ever been.
Attitude Adjustments
Our attitude toward prayer varies from time to time. As our attitudes bend and sway, we need to be conscious of the detrimental thoughts that will creep into our souls. One belief many people have about prayer is that it is something we do in the morning or at bedtime. Once we have checked that box, we are free to move on to the next chore.
But prayer is not once and done. God instructs us to pray continuously. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Paul writes in Ephesians 6:18 we are to “pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”
We also have to change the attitude that our prayers should be full of eloquent words. I remember the first time I was asked to pray at church, I was so nervous that my words would be jumbled and less than perfect. If this is you, I ask you to consider the words of David in Psalms. When I read them, I realized that some of his prayers are full of worship, and some were what I consider ugly prayers. His words were questioning, hurtful, and less than hopeful. Through this, we realize that our prayers should reflect our minds, hearts, and souls. They do not always need to be full of eloquent words or perfect verbiage.
Another attitude we must be aware of is the one that says prayer is all about you. Prayer is not all about you. We are to bring our praise and requests to God, but we are also to bring the concerns of others to Him. James 5:16 states, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” We are encouraged to practice intercessory prayer (1 Timothy 2:1). In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he says that he has not stopped praying for them (Colossians 1:9). God’s word instructs us to pray for others, but it also gives us an example of His instruction.
What might be the most important attitude to check is the one that says prayer is just a line of communication with the Father. It is so much more. When we pray, we should expect that the act of prayer will change us. Our prayers are not just a way to get what we want. It is the way to be changed. Prayer is when we bring our praises, concerns, and hopes to God, but it also a time when we can become aware of our own faults and seek help in repairing them. When we pray, it is not a one-sided conversation, it is a sacred time to talk to God and hear what God is saying to us.
A changed attitude regarding prayer will give you a desire to change how you pray for yourself and for others.
Praying Differently
E.M Bounds said, “Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty.” When it becomes monotonous in our lives, we need to seek ways to keep seeing the new beauty. So, how can we pray differently?
Schedule Prayer Time Throughout the Day
Instead of praying in the mornings or before bed, make time throughout your day to pray. You could pray on your way to work or an appointment. Choose to pray on your lunch break or when you are at the gym. Praying does not have to be done at a certain time each day.
Make a Prayer List
Keeping a prayer list is helpful for remembering prayer requests. When someone asks you to pray for them or a situation, write it down. Writing down requests will help you remember them better. Prayer lists also help you to pray specifically for a person because you can look at your list and know.
You can also organize your prayer list into family, friends, work friends, and any other grouping you can think of. Choose a day of the week you pray for each of these groups so that you don’t become overwhelmed.
Keep a Prayer Journal
A prayer journal is another avenue we can use to pray. Instead of speaking aloud and putting our hands together, we can write down our prayers. Your prayer journal can be more than just a place you share your thoughts and requests. In your journal, you can write out Bible verses that have taken on a special meaning and list people’s names and concerns. A journal also provides a way we can look back and see what God has done in our lives and the lives of those we love.
Pray Immediately
When people ask us to pray for them, we can immediately send their requests to God. Whenever you get a request, stop and pray then, before you forget. Do not wait till you get home or to write it on a prayer list.
Get an Accountability Partner
Because we know humans can easily forget or are prone to procrastination, getting an accountability partner is an asset. With an accountability partner, we are held responsible. Our partner can gently remind us to pray and help us pray better. In Matthew 18:19-20 Jesus tells us “Again, I truly tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for it, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” Praying with another person ushers in the Holy Spirit and strengthens our requests to the Lord.
Pray Less
Praying less seems like an oxymoron to the purpose of this article. But when we believe that we have to spend an hour or more in prayer to make our prayers effective, we lose the purpose of praying. To pray less means we pray throughout the day in lesser amounts of time. You could start your day with 10 minutes and then spend 15 minutes in prayer during lunch. Spend some time praying on your way home and pray yourself to bed. When you add all the time you have prayed throughout the day, you can meet the goals you may have set for yourself.
Henry Ward Beecher said, “It’s not well for a man to pray cream and live skim milk.” Our prayer lives need to be the cream. It should be rich and thickening for our relationship with Christ. When we do not pray, our relationship with God becomes fractured. Our hearts become closed, and we miss the blessings God has for us. This year, let’s all declare to make that effort to reflect on our prayers and be active in making it the best it can be.
Sources
https://www.spiritualwarfare.blog/prayer-quotes
https://spirituallythinking.blogspot.com/2010/03/praying-cream-and-living-skimmed-milk.html
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